2013 Cadillac XTS Review By Carey Russ

American expectations for a luxury car are not what they
once were. The extra-large, softly-suspended, V8-powered insulating cocoon
on wheels -- exemplified most recently in the Cadillac line by the late
DTS, and DeVille and Fleetwood before it -- is gone. Today's luxury car
buyer is more likely than his or her parents and grandparents to be
influenced by European and Asian ideas concerning luxury cars, meaning
smaller on the outside while still spacious within, having useable power
coupled with reasonable fuel economy, and with all of the latest electronic
gadgetry and connectivity in addition to the traditional luxury
accoutrements.

In Cadillac terms, the new 2013 XTS.

Built on the long-wheelbase version of GM's Epsilon platform
and featuring a direct-injected 304-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 driving the
front or all wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission, the XTS
slots above the CTS in the Cadillac lineup. Ten inches longer than the CTS,
only fractionally wider, and surprisingly on a wheelbase about two inches
shorter, the XTS has considerably more interior and trunk volume than the
CTS -- enough to move it into the EPA "large car" category.

Striking styling makes it instantly recognizable, and inside
is the debut of Cadillac's CUE (Cadillac User Experience) state-of-the-art
control and infotainment system. Standard magnetic ride control gives all
trim levels a ride quality and handling that compare well to any luxury car
from anywhere in the world, and further emphasizes the difference from your
late great-uncle's DeVille. All of the safety equipment expected in a
top-line car today is there, including adaptive cruise control and rear
cross-traffic alert -- and the debut of the Safety Alert Seat, which gently
vibrates to alert the driver of a potential hazard.

The standard XTS provides the base for the ever-fancier
"collections" (a new word for trim levels) of Luxury, Premium, and
Platinum. My test car for the past week was a Premium model with a lovely
"Crystal Red Tintcoat" paint scheme its only option. Options not required
-- everything needed for comfort, safety, and performance was included.

I was a bit skeptical at first, but grew to like the CUE
interface. Ditto on the driving experience -- when trolling through traffic
or sedately driving on the highway, it was as comfortable and quiet as
expected, but felt a bit soft. Not "Grandma's Fleetwood" soft, mind you,
just not quite as focused as a good German competitor. I wicked it up a bit
when I came to a favorite twisty road -- not a good thing at all in the old
Fleetwood -- and the XTS came right into focus, sharply. Target,
Ingolstadt? Could be…

APPEARANCE: Looks can be deceptive. When I first examined
the XTS, it didn't look very big. And, compared to a DeVille or Fleetwood,
it isn't -- which makes it much more maneuverable in tight parking and on
the road. Exterior styling is an interesting combination of angular sides
and accents and an aerodynamically flowing profile, with a raked front,
short hood, long, near-fastback greenhouse, and short rear deck. Close
attention to detail shows how far Cadillac has come -- where once door trim
didn't quite ever line up, here it's as precise as on any German rival, and
the trim pieces at the front and rear of the side windows are one-piece,
more expensive to produce but much better looking and appropriate. Familiar
Cadillac styling themes include the bold eggcrate grille, in chrome of
course, vertical headlights (HID with LED running lights) and taillights
(LED), and copious use of chrome trim, even around the headlights and front
foglamps, not to mention the door handles. The rear center stop light
(CHMSL) is cleverly dual-purposed as a spoiler, and a close look at the
taillights shows… vestigial tail fins? Yes!

COMFORT: The XTS's interior doesn't violate any laws of
physics. Cadillac's designers merely got the maximum amount of interior
into a modestly-sized exterior package. As outside, interior style is
tastefully extroverted, not flashy, with premium materials and excellent
fit and finish. At Luxury level and above, both front seats and the
outboard rear positions are heated, with the fronts also cooled, and the
full steering wheel rim is heated. Comfort level is high, even in the rear.
Cadillac would like to make inroads to the livery trade (limo service),
where rear comfort and space are paramount, and if not to stretch-limo
standards, there is a remarkable amount of leg and head room in the rear.
Not to mention 18 cubic feet of trunk space. Foursome and clubs? No
problem!

All that's expected in a contemporary luxury sedan is included --
power everything, pushbutton start/stop, a high-quality audio system with
all formats, even SD card and internet streaming radio via Bluetooth®, LED
lighting, and far too much more to list. The centerpiece of the XTS's
interior is the dashboard. Think glass cockpit, as in aircraft. CUE it
up…both the main instrument display and center stack interface are
configurable screens, controlled via buttons on the steering wheel and/or
proximity- and touch-sensitive areas on the stack and stack screen. Stack
controls give audible and tactile feedback in the form of a light click,
much like the newest smartphones and tablets. Unlike so many of those, the
XTS interface is mostly simple and self-explanatory. Cadillac had some of
the earliest head-up displays, nearly twenty years ago, and then abandoned
them. Head-up is back and better than ever, bright, user-configurable and
non-distracting.

SAFETY: All of the expected airbags and harnesses and other
passive safety features are standard in all XTS models. Premium and
Platinum collections have the Driver Awareness Package standard, with lane
departure warning, forward collision alert, side blind zone alert, and rear
cross-traffic alert -- and the most interesting Safety Alert Seat, which
vibrates the appropriate side bolster of the driver's seat when a potential
hazard is detected. Need to stop, quickly? The front brakes are Brembos, as
used in the CTS-V. They work.

RIDE AND HANDLING: A rigid unibody structure with strategic
use of ultra-high strength steel ensures excellent road manners as well as
safety. Also credit Cadillac's use of Magnetic Ride Control
magneto-rheological real-time controlled damping. New to Italian exotics,
this was first used by Cadillac almost two decades ago, and has undergone
continual refinement. It uses computer-controlled magnetic fields to vary
the viscosity of the fluid in the shock dampers to effortlessly combine
comfort and control. Driven gently, the XTS seems a bit soft and unfocused.
Driven more assertively, it comes into focus and becomes a true driver's
car. This is also good for non-sport oriented drivers as it means better
control when evading a possible accident -- and an accident you don't have
is always better than one not avoided. The Haldex-based all-wheel drive
system is transparent in operation and ensures that the power gets to the
wheels that can use it in all conditions, wet or dry.

PERFORMANCE: With its 304 horsepower and 264 lb-ft of torque
developed at rather high revolutions -- 6800 and 5200 rpm, respectively --
the XTS's 3.6-liter V6 would seem, on paper, to need hard use in order to
extract useful power. On paper… In the real world, think "reserve"
or, in audiophile parlance, "overhead". Direct fuel injection and
continuously-variable cam phasing are among the engine technologies that
enable it to produce plenty of motivation at everyday, real-world speeds --
and to do that on unleaded regular. The six-speed automatic transmission
shifts smoothly and quickly in D. It's programmed to enhance fuel economy,
so it chooses higher gears and keeps the revs low most of the time. This
can diminish performance on a steep grade, but in that or a similar
situation just shift the lever into manual and use the paddles behind the
steering wheel spokes. The engine likes to rev -- but horsepower equals air
plus fuel and too much fun will make for a thirsty engine. It's worth it.
EPA estimates are 17 mpg city, 26 highway. I saw 15 to 17 around town and
on backroads, with a little highway driving upping that to 18. More highway
would have meant better mileage but this is a car that is happy to take the
scenic route.